Step up close

A closer look at the scrap of board with the 100uH inductor (a coil of wire in a plastic housing). Two little blue ceramic capacitors and an almost hidden diode to their left. In the foreground is the chip that acts as a little switcher to allow bursts of electrons to pass at the appropriate moments. The two little 100K resistors go between the positive red wire of the USB and the white and green wires in the middle. They are only there for the benefit of the ipod, which will not think about sipping from the power without something of the sort in place. Here the board strips on the back are running north to south.